Pickup trucks are used for passenger transport, agriculture, commercial, recreation, law enforcement, and fire service applications. For all these activities cargo is often transported within the bed of the pickup truck. In agriculture, commercial, recreation, law enforcement and fire services the cargo may include equipment. Once the pickup truck transports the equipment to the destination, the user or users may require a surface on which to unload, display, stage or use the equipment. Alternatively the surface may be used to conduct meetings, review drawings, process paperwork or act as a mobile work desk to mount a laptop for example. In addition to the surface, the equipment within the pickup truck bed may need to be covered to protect it from the environment and theft.
There is clearly an opportunity to provide a work surface and provide protection for the cargo including equipment contained within the bed of a pickup truck. By using a table attachable to the tailgate of a vehicle extending from the tailgate in two configurations, first, a surface can be created and used for work or staging and using equipment; and second, the surface can be used to cover and protect the cargo from the environment and theft.